The CEO married a maid with three children by different men… but when she undressed on their wedding night, the man was stunned by what he

Nathan turned toward her. “The rumors.”

She nodded.

“Ray started them. Said I was no good. Said I had men coming and going. Said Johnny, Paul, and Lily were mine from different fathers. It made people look away. Nobody helps a girl they already decided is dirty.”

Nathan felt a cold shame crawl through him. He had heard those rumors too. He had hated them, rejected them, but still he had let them exist around her like smoke.

“Then how did you get here?” he asked.

“A church woman helped me. Mrs. Abigail Turner. She knew my mother. She got me a bus ticket and a fake reference. She told me that if I wanted to save the children, I had to leave first and earn enough to bring them somewhere safe.”

Emily’s eyes trembled.

“I didn’t want to leave them. Johnny cried so hard he threw up. Paul clung to my skirt. Lily didn’t understand. She thought I was going to buy candy and come back.”

Her voice cracked.